Compactible wagon

ABSTRACT

Compactible wagons are provided having at least two operational configurations. The compactible wagon has a first unfolded configuration where the first and second set of wheels are spaced apart by a horizontal platform, and where the wagon has one or more sidewalls, and at least a second compacted configuration where the horizontal platform is folded into a vertical configuration and the first and second set of wheels are disposed next to each other. The compactible wagon can have one or more additional configurations, including at least an unfolded configuration without sidewalls and/or an extended configuration where one or more of the sidewall are disposed to extend the surface area of the horizontal platform of the wagon. Many different rigid and flexible sidewalls may be used with the wagon.

PRIORITY STATEMENT

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional App. No.62/321,885, filed Apr. 13, 2016, and U.S. Provisional App. No.62/359,089, filed Jul. 6, 2016, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to compactible wagons, and moreparticularly to compactible wagons having foldable sidewalls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Compactible wagons, i.e., wagons that can be folded and unfolded betweenopen and collapsed configurations are well-known. However, the frames ofsuch folding wagons tend to be relatively complex to operate.Specifically, most such compactible wagons rely on many rigid elementsthat bridge the foldable sections, and which severely limit the possibleconfigurations of the wagon, i.e., providing only one folded and oneunfolded configuration. In addition, most compactible wagons do not havethe option of incorporating solid side walls, either relying on frameelements to contain goods disposed within, or providing soft clothsidewalls that are unsuitable for hauling many types of loads.Accordingly, compactible wagons that overcome these and otherdisadvantages would be desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments are directed to a compactible wagon having more than twooperational configurations.

Various embodiments are directed to a compactible wagon including:

-   -   a platform having first and second ends and upper and lower        surfaces and defining a platform width, a platform length and a        longitudinal axis at either end of which are disposed the first        and second ends of the platform, and where the platform is        further comprised of at least two pivotably interconnected        independent sections, at least one section being disposed        proximal the first end and at least one section being disposed        proximal the second end;    -   at least two sets of wheels disposed below the lower surface of        the platform, at least one set being disposed on each of at        least the two independent sections proximal the first and second        ends, and each set of wheels comprising at least one wheel;    -   at least a first support wall being disposed at the first end,        and at least a second support wall being disposed at the second        end, and wherein each of the support walls are pivotably        interconnected to the platform;    -   at least two sidewalls configured to span longitudinally between        the first and second support walls and form a partially enclosed        volume above the platform, the sidewalls being further        configured to fold such that in a compacted position no        dimension of each of the sidewalls is greater than the width of        the platform;    -   wherein the independent sections of the platform are pivotable        about a horizontal axis arranged perpendicular to the        longitudinal axis between an unfolded position where the        independent sections form a platform having a horizontally        planar configuration, and a folded position where the        independent sections are disposed vertically adjacent one        another and concomitantly the at least two sets of wheels are        drawn closer together; and    -   wherein the first and second support walls are each pivotable        about a separate horizontal axis arranged perpendicular to the        longitudinal axis along an arc that runs between a first        position wherein each of the support walls overlap a portion of        the upper surface of the platform, a second position wherein        each of the support walls are aligned vertically, and a third        position wherein each of the support walls are disposed within        the horizontal plane of the platform when the platform is        disposed in the horizontally planar configuration such that the        platform length is increased.

In other embodiments the independent sections of the platform arepivotably interconnected at the midpoint of the platform length.

In still other embodiments there is further provided at least onesupport element disposed at the first and second ends of the platformsuch that the first and second support walls are prevented from rotatingbeyond the horizontal plane of the platform when disposed in thehorizontally planar configuration.

In yet other embodiments there is further provided at least two supportbrackets configured to rigidly interconnect each of the first and secondsupport walls in the second position. In some such embodiments the atleast two support brackets are disconnectable from the first and secondsupport walls and secured in line with the horizontal plane of theplatform.

In still yet other embodiments the two sets of wheels overlap when theplatform is disposed in the folded position.

In still yet other embodiments at least one set of wheels is rotatableabout a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of theplatform. In some such embodiments there is further provided a handleinterconnected to the at least one set of wheels that is rotatable aboutthe vertical axis.

In still yet other embodiments the sidewalls are formed of a pliablematerial selected from the group consisting of cloth, plastic andnetting.

In still yet other embodiments the sidewalls are formed of a rigidmaterial. In some such embodiments each of the sidewalls are formed of apair of foldable panels, wherein a first of the pair of foldable panelsof each sidewall is pivotably interconnected to the first support wall,and a second of the pair of foldable panels of each sidewall ispivotably interconnected to the second support wall. In other suchembodiments each of the foldable panels is pivotable about a verticalaxis disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the platform anddisposed at a lateral edge of one of the support walls, such that thefoldable panels may be folded and pivoted to overlap said one of thesupport walls. In still other such embodiments each of the foldablepanels is configured to span between the first and second support walls,and is formed of at least two independent sections pivotablyinterconnected such that the panels are foldable such that in a foldedconfiguration no dimension of any section is greater than the platformwidth. In yet other such embodiment at least one of the foldable panelsof each sidewall further comprises an interconnecting flap configured tofold over at least one longitudinal edge of the other foldable panel ofthe sidewall to secure the two foldable panels of the sidewall together.In still yet other such embodiments the foldable panels further compriseanchors configured to cooperatively engage to secure the interconnectingflap to the longitudinal edge. In still yet other such embodiments thefoldable panels of each of the sidewalls are configured such that, wheninterconnected, the sidewalls anchor the first and second support wallsin the second position.

In still yet other embodiments each of the sidewalls is formed of arigid removable foldable panel. In some such embodiments each of therigid removable foldable panels is configured to span between the firstand second support walls, and is formed of at least two independentsections pivotably interconnected such that the panels are foldable suchthat in a folded configuration no dimension of any section is greaterthan the platform width. In other such embodiments the foldable panelsfurther comprise anchors configured to engage with cooperative anchorsdisposed on at least the support walls and the platform to secure thesidewalls to the wagon.

Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in thedescription that follows, and in part will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon examination of the specification or may belearned by the practice of the disclosed subject matter. A furtherunderstanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure maybe realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specificationand the drawings, which forms a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will bebetter understood by reference to the following detailed descriptionwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying data and figures,wherein:

FIG. 1 provides a side view of a compactible wagon in a full unfoldedconfiguration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon in a fullunfolded configuration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 3 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon with onesidewall opened in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 4 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon with both setsof sidewalls opened in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 5 provides a top view of a compactible wagon with both sets ofsidewalls partially compacted in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 6 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon in a fullflattened configuration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 7 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon in a shortenedconfiguration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 8 provides a side view of a compactible wagon in a shortenedconfiguration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 9 provides a side view of a compactible wagon in a partiallycompacted configuration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 10 provides a side view of a compactible wagon in a fully compactedconfiguration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 11 provides a rear view of a compactible wagon in a fully compactedconfiguration in accordance with embodiments.

FIG. 12 provides a side view of a compactible wagon in a full unfoldedconfiguration without sidewalls in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 13 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon in aflattened configuration in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 14 provides a side view of a compactible wagon in a full unfoldedconfiguration with net sidewalls in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 15 provides a close-up view of a rear-wall support for acompactible wagon in a full unfolded configuration in accordance withembodiments;

FIG. 16 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon with bothsets of sidewalls closed in accordance with embodiments; and

FIG. 17 provides a perspective view of a compactible wagon with bothsets of sidewalls opened in accordance with embodiments.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

The embodiments of the invention described herein are not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to precise forms disclosed. Rather,the embodiments selected for description have been chosen to enable oneskilled in the art to practice the invention.

Turning now to the drawings, compactible wagons are provided having atleast two operational configurations. In many such embodiments thecompactible wagon has a first unfolded configuration where the first andsecond set of wheels are space apart by a horizontal platform, and wherethe wagon has one or more sidewalls, and at least a second compactedconfiguration where the horizontal platform is folded into a verticalconfiguration and the first and second set of wheels are disposed nextto each other. In various other embodiments, the sets of wheels are atleast partially overlapping in the compacted configuration. In someother embodiments the compactible wagon can have one or more additionalconfigurations, including at least an unfolded configuration withoutsidewalls and/or an extended configuration where one or more of thesidewall are disposed to extend the surface area of the horizontalplatform of the wagon. In embodiments, many different rigid and flexiblesidewalls may be used with the wagon.

As show in FIGS. 1 and 2, in many embodiments the compactible wagons(10) are comprised of a platform structure (12) having upper (14) andlower (16) surfaces, and at least two sets of wheels (18 & 20) aredisposed along the lower surface of the platform structure. In manyembodiments, the platform structure is formed of at least two sections(13 & 13′) pivotably interconnect between each other such that theplatform structure may be configured as either a flat horizontal planeor a pair of vertical walls. Although two sets of two wheels are shownin FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be understood that any number of sets of wheelcomprising any number of wheels may be disposed across the platform toprovide stability to the wagon, and each of the sections of the wagonplatform and provide it with the capability to move via rotary motion ofthe wheel sets. In many such embodiments the rear and front sets ofwheels are offset relative to each other by a sufficient amount toprovide stability to the wagon. In some such embodiments the sets ofwheels are disposed proximal to opposite ends of the horizontalplatform. In various such embodiments the front pair of wheels furthercomprise a handle (30) mechanically interconnected thereto. In some suchembodiments one or both of the sets of wheels are pivotable about anaxis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal platformof the wagon, such that the direction of the sets of wheels may becontrolled.

In various embodiments, as shown in the figures, the wagon furthercomprises front and rear support walls (22 & 24) disposed at either endof the upper surface (14) of the platform structure (12). Although thefront and rear support walls are shown as unitary constructs, it shouldbe understood that the support walls may be formed of multiple segmentsof any desired length and height provided the support walls providestable anchor points for the sidewalls.

In some such embodiments, a pair of sidewall structures (26 & 28) spansbetween the front and rear sidewalls along the lateral edges (32) of thehorizontal platform. In various embodiments, the sidewalls may beconfigured to both define an open volume above the wagon platform, andalso to support the front and rear sidewalls to maintain them in anupright orientation, and prevent their rotation relative to the wagonplatform.

As shown in FIG. 3, in many embodiments the sidewalls (26 & 28) of thecompactible wagon are each made of a rigid material and comprise aplurality of foldable panels (34 & 36), each panel having multiplesections and (38 & 40) & (42 & 44). In some embodiments, as shown inFIG. 3, the sidewall panels (34 & 36) are each configured to separatelyspan the length (46) of the horizontal platform in a first unfoldedconfiguration, and that are foldable in sections (38, 40, 42 & 44) suchthat the sections have no dimension greater than the width (48) of thehorizontal platform (12) in the folded configuration. In many suchembodiments, when the sidewalls (26 & 28) are fully extended, each ofthe panels (34 & 36) span between the front (22) and rear (24) supportwalls, and each of the foldable panels (34 & 36) on each side of thewagon overlap such that the combination of the two panels form thecomplete side wall (28).

In many embodiments, for each sidewall (26 & 28) of the wagon (10), oneof the two sections (38, 40, 42 & 44) of one of the panels (34 & 36) ispivotably attached (50 & 52) to the rear support wall (24), and theother is pivotably attached to the front support wall (22). In variousembodiments each of the panels (34 & 36) are further hinged or foldable(54 & 56) at least once along their length such that the overall lengthof each of the panels (34 & 36) is compactible into a width at least nowider than the width of the platform. In such embodiments, the hingepoints (54 & 56) along the length of the panels (34 & 36) of eachsidewall (26 & 28) are positioned such that they do not overlap.

Although the sidewalls are shown as being formed of two panels, eachformed of two sections, it should be understood that any number ofpanels and sections may be used such that the sidewalls are capable ofspanning the distance between the front and rear walls, and foldablesuch that no dimension of the folded sidewall is longer than the widthof the wagon platform.

In many embodiments at least one of the panels (34 & 36) furthercomprises at least one foldable lip (58) disposed along the upper edgethereof, the foldable lip being configured such that when the panels areextended across the front and rear support walls and positioned adjacenteach other the foldable lip extends over the upper edge (60) of theother panel thus containing the upper edge thereunder. In variousembodiments the panels further comprise cooperative fasteners (62) thatcan be releasably engaged together when the panels are configured toextend between the front and rear support walls. In some suchembodiments at least one of the set of fasteners is disposed along thefoldable lip. In various embodiments the fastener may be chosen from thegroup consisting of hook and loop, buttons, snaps, zippers, etc.

As shown in FIG. 4, in various embodiments the front (22) and rear (24)support walls are also hinged (63) so that they are pivotable relativeto the wagon platform (12) along axes (64) disposed horizontallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis (66) of the wagon platform (12)through at least a 180 degree arc. In many embodiments, the front andrear support walls may be folded in at least a 90 degree arc outwardaway from the central point of the wagon platform, thus extending thelongitudinal length (46) of wagon platform.

As shown in FIG. 5, the various embodiments the panels (34 & 36) and (68& 70) of the sidewalls (26 & 28) are hinged or foldable both in relationto the support wall (22 & 24) to which it is attached and along itslength into sections (38, 40, 42 & 44) such that at least the panelsattached to each support wall fold flat together and nest against saidsupport wall such that the panels do not extend beyond the width (48) ofthe wagon platform (12).

As shown in FIG. 6, when the sidewalls (26 & 28) are folded flat againstthe relevant support walls (22 & 24), the support walls can be pivotedoutward through at least an arc of 180 degree about axes (64) to liealong longitudinal axis (66) of the wagon, within the plane of thehorizontal platform (12) thus extending the longitudinal length (46) ofthe wagon platform. Elements may be provided to support the supportwalls (22 & 24) in this extended configuration thus allowing for thesupport walls to support weight disposed thereatop. In many embodiments,the support may take the form of a support bar (72) disposed along thelower edge of the support wall where it is hingedly connected to thewagon platform such that when rotated outward away from the center ofthe wagon platform the support bar on the support wall engages acooperative support bar disposed on the end of the wagon platform. Inother embodiments the support may be a bracket or strap connected to theplatform to provide physical support between the platform and thesupport walls.

As shown in FIG. 7, in many embodiments the support walls (22 & 24) areconfigured to each have a length (74) that is half of the length (46) ofthe wagon platform, and to be pivotably connected (63) with the wagonplatform (12) to further allow the support walls to be rotated inwardtoward the center of the wagon platform such that the inner face of thesupport walls fold flat against the upper surface of the wagon platformforming a shortened configuration. As shown in FIG. 8, in this shortenedconfiguration the outer surface of the support walls (22 & 24) form theupper surface of the wagon platform (12) upon which loads can bedisposed.

As shown in FIG. 9, in many embodiments the wagon platform (12) isformed of two sections that are pivotably joined such that the platformis divided into two platform panels (76 & 78). In many embodiments, thehinged platforms pivot relative to each other such that the lowersurfaces of the platform panels are disposed adjacent each other when ina folded configuration. Although any suitable pivot point may be used,as shown in the figure, in many embodiments the hinge point (80) of theplatform panels is disposed at the midpoint of the platform below thewagon platform such that the edges of each of the platform panels. Inmany embodiments, at least one additional support bar (82) is disposedbeneath the platform surface (12) and cooperatively engage in theunfolded extended position to prevent the rotation of the panels (76 &78) downward beyond the point of planarity thus providing structuralsupport when a load is deposited onto the upper surface of the wagonplatform.

As shown in FIG. 10, in many embodiments the two platform panels (76 &78) may be pivoted relative to each other into a compacted position inwhich the lower surfaces of the platform panels are disposed adjacent.As shown, in this compacted configuration, the front and rear wheels (18& 20) may partially overlap. In many embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11,the pairs of front and rear wheels are configured to nest, one pairwithin the other such that the wheels do not interfere one with theother in such compacted configuration. Although not shown in the photos,to prevent the wagon from unfolding uncontrollably a retainingmechanism, such as a lock, clasp, or retaining strap may be incorporatedinto the wagon to secure the two panels of the platform from movingrelative to each other once locked. As also shown, in many embodimentsat least the front wheel pair is rotatably mounted about an axis (84)vertically perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wagon such thatthe position of the wagon handle (30) and the wheels in turn may also berotated relative to the longitudinal axis of the wagon platform. In manyembodiments, the wagon handle may be rotated at least 180 degrees suchthat the handle extends beneath the wagon platform.

Although many embodiments are described above in reference to FIGS. 1 to11, other embodiments may also be contemplated. For example, as shown inFIGS. 12 and 13, in many embodiments, the front and rear support walls(22 & 24) may also incorporate a separate bracket arm (86) to supportthe vertical orientation of the walls and prevent their rotationrelative to the wagon platform. Although two support brackets are shownin the embodiment, it should be understood that such brackets may takeany suitable form (such as a removable or pivotable bracket arm) thatcan server to attach front and rear support walls to the wagon platform(as shown in FIG. 12). In such embodiments, the bracket arms (86) may bedisengaged from the support walls (22 & 24) and pivoted such that thesupport walls may be folded flat (as shown in FIG. 13). In many suchembodiments, the bracket arms may be hinged and or a single piece, ortake any other configuration suitable to disengagably support thesupport walls of the wagon. In various other embodiments the wagon mayinclude attachment points to hold the bracket arms when they are not insupportive arrangement with the wagon, as also shown in FIG. 13.

In embodiments incorporating such bracket arms, the sidewalls do notneed to provide support to the front and rear sidewalls. As a resultmany different sidewall structures may be incorporated into thecompactible wagon, including non-structural forms, such as, for example,net or cloth walls (88) such as those shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. In suchembodiments, the net or cloth walls may be interconnected with the wallsand platform of the wagon via fasteners (90), such as, for example,snaps, buttons, zippers or hook & latch fasteners

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the walls may includedetachable or hinged hard walls (92) that can be either removed from thesides of the wagon or pivoted flat against the base of the wagon. Invarious embodiments, as shown, such hard walls may be detachablyattached to the wagon via fasteners (94), such as, for example, snaps,buttons, zippers or hook & latch fasteners.

DOCTRINE OF EQUIVALENTS

This description of the invention has been presented for the purposes ofillustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise form described, and manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the teachingabove. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical applications.This description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilizeand practice the invention in various embodiments and with variousmodifications as are suited to a particular use. The scope of theinvention is defined by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A compactible wagon comprising: a platformhaving first and second ends and upper and lower surfaces and defining aplatform width, a platform length and a longitudinal axis at either endof which are disposed the first and second ends of the platform, andwhere the platform is further comprised of at least two pivotablyinterconnected independent sections, at least one section being disposedproximal the first end and at least one section being disposed proximalthe second end; at least two sets of wheels disposed below the lowersurface of the platform, at least one set being disposed on each of atleast the two independent sections proximal the first and second ends,and each set of wheels comprising at least one wheel; at least a firstsupport wall being disposed at the first end, and at least a secondsupport wall being disposed at the second end, and wherein each of thesupport walls are pivotably interconnected to the platform; at least twosidewalls configured to span longitudinally between the first and secondsupport walls and form a partially enclosed volume above the platform,the sidewalls being further configured to fold such that in a compactedposition no dimension of each of the sidewalls is greater than the widthof the platform; wherein the independent sections of the platform arepivotable about a horizontal axis arranged perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis between an unfolded position where the independentsections form a platform having a horizontally planar configuration, anda folded position where the independent sections are disposed verticallyadjacent one another and concomitantly the at least two sets of wheelsare drawn closer together; wherein the first and second support wallsare each pivotable about a separate horizontal axis arrangedperpendicular to the longitudinal axis along an arc that runs between afirst position wherein each of the support walls overlap a portion ofthe upper surface of the platform, a second position wherein each of thesupport walls are aligned vertically, and a third position wherein eachof the support walls are disposed within the horizontal plane of theplatform when the platform is disposed in the horizontally planarconfiguration such that the platform length is increased.
 2. Thecompactible wagon of claim 1, wherein the independent sections of theplatform are pivotably interconnected at the midpoint of the platformlength.
 3. The compactible wagon of claim 1, further comprising at leastone support element disposed at the first and second ends of theplatform such that the first and second support walls are prevented fromrotating beyond the horizontal plane of the platform when disposed inthe horizontally planar configuration.
 4. The compactible wagon of claim1, further comprising at least two support brackets configured torigidly interconnect each of the first and second support walls in thesecond position.
 5. The compactible wagon of claim 4, wherein the atleast two support brackets are disconnectable from the first and secondsupport walls and secured in line with the horizontal plane of theplatform.
 6. The compactible wagon of claim 1, wherein the two sets ofwheels overlap when the platform is disposed in the folded position. 7.The compactible wagon of claim 1, wherein at least one set of wheels isrotatable about a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axisof the platform.
 8. The compactible wagon of claim 7, further comprisinga handle interconnected to the at least one set of wheels that isrotatable about the vertical axis.
 9. The compactible wagon of claim 1,wherein the sidewalls are formed of a pliable material selected from thegroup consisting of cloth, plastic and netting.
 10. The compactiblewagon of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are formed of a rigid material.11. The compactible wagon of claim 10, wherein each of the sidewalls areformed of a pair of foldable panels, wherein a first of the pair offoldable panels of each sidewall is pivotably interconnected to thefirst support wall, and a second of the pair of foldable panels of eachsidewall is pivotably interconnected to the second support wall.
 12. Thecompactible wagon of claim 11, wherein each of the foldable panels ispivotable about a vertical axis disposed perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the platform and disposed at a lateral edge of oneof the support walls, such that the foldable panels may be folded andpivoted to overlap said one of the support walls.
 13. The compactiblewagon of claim 11, wherein each of the foldable panels is configured tospan between the first and second support walls, and is formed of atleast two independent sections pivotably interconnected such that thepanels are foldable such that in a folded configuration no dimension ofany section is greater than the platform width.
 14. The compactiblewagon of claim 11, wherein at least one of the foldable panels of eachsidewall further comprises an interconnecting flap configured to foldover at least one longitudinal edge of the other foldable panel of thesidewall to secure the two foldable panels of the sidewall together. 15.The compactible wagon of claim 14, wherein the foldable panels furthercomprise anchors configured to cooperatively engage to secure theinterconnecting flap to the longitudinal edge.
 16. The compactible wagonof claim 11, wherein the foldable panels of each of the sidewalls areconfigured such that, when interconnected, the sidewalls anchor thefirst and second support walls in the second position.
 17. Thecompactible wagon of claim 4, wherein each of the sidewalls is formed ofa rigid removable foldable panel.
 18. The compactible wagon of claim 17,wherein each of the rigid removable foldable panels is configured tospan between the first and second support walls, and is formed of atleast two independent sections pivotably interconnected such that thepanels are foldable such that in a folded configuration no dimension ofany section is greater than the platform width.
 19. The compactiblewagon of claim 18, wherein the foldable panels further comprise anchorsconfigured to engage with cooperative anchors disposed on at least thesupport walls and the platform to secure the sidewalls to the wagon. 20.A compactible wagon comprising: a platform having first and second endsand upper and lower surfaces and defining a platform width, a platformlength and a longitudinal axis at either end of which are disposed thefirst and second ends of the platform, and where the platform is furthercomprised of at least two pivotably interconnected independent sections,at least one section being disposed proximal the first end and at leastone section being disposed proximal the second end; at least two sets ofwheels disposed below the lower surface of the platform, at least oneset being disposed on each of at least the two independent sectionsproximal the first and second ends, and each set of wheels comprising atleast one wheel; at least a first support wall being disposed at thefirst end, and at least a second support wall being disposed at thesecond end, and wherein each of the support walls are pivotablyinterconnected to the platform; at least two rigid sidewalls configuredto span longitudinally between the first and second support walls andform a partially enclosed volume above the platform, the sidewalls beingfurther configured to fold such that in a compacted position nodimension of each of the sidewalls is greater than the width of theplatform; wherein the independent sections of the platform are pivotableabout a horizontal axis arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axisbetween an unfolded position where the independent sections form aplatform having a horizontally planar configuration, and a foldedposition where the independent sections are disposed vertically adjacentone another and concomitantly the at least two sets of wheels are drawncloser together; wherein the first and second support walls are eachpivotable about a separate horizontal axis arranged perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis along an arc that runs between a first positionwherein each of the support walls overlap a portion of the upper surfaceof the platform, a second position wherein each of the support walls arealigned vertically, and a third position wherein each of the supportwalls are disposed within the horizontal plane of the platform when theplatform is disposed in the horizontally planar configuration such thatthe platform length is increased; and wherein when the platform isdisposed in the folded position, the first and second support walls aredisposed in the first position, and the sidewalls are disposed in thecompacted position.